Mouth guard with adjustable and removable lip protector

ABSTRACT

Mouth guards are designed to protect the teeth of the wearer. Some mouth guards also provide a shield for protecting the lips of a wearer. Unfortunately, the lip protectors of prior mouth guards are not adjustable and are positioned such that they contact the lips of the wearer. The invention provides a mouth guard with an adjustable and removable lip protector.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a mouth guard for use in contact sports. More specifically, the invention relates to an improved lip protector for use with a mouth guard.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Protective mouth guards are generally known in the sporting goods industry and are required to play many contact sports including, but not limited to football, lacrosse, soccer and hockey. Generally speaking, mouth guards are designed to protect the teeth of the wearer. Some mouth guards also provide a shield for protecting the lips of a wearer. However, the lip protectors of prior mouth guards frequently contact the lips of the wearer. Such contact can be irritating to the lips of the wearer. Additionally, contact with the lips can inhibit natural speech and restrict the wearer's ability to breath.

Various types of mouth guards having lip protectors have been disclosed in the art although all suffer from some deficiency. Relative to the claimed invention, the lip protectors taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,203,417, 3,682,164 and 3,768,465 show fixed lip protectors, that is, the disclosed lip protectors are permanently situated a fixed distance away from the mouth guard. Such a “one size fits all” approach does not work for all wearers of mouth guards. Prior lip protectors can be either too far away from the mouth guard, thus potentially leaving the wearer's lip exposed to injury or too close to the mouth guard, thereby causing irritation to the user's lips.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The mouth guard with adjustable and removable lip protector overcomes the problems associated with the prior art. The claimed invention provides a mouth guard with a tether strap attached thereto such that the mouth guard can be attached to the facemask of a helmet. The invention further provides a lip protector that can be situated in multiple positions along the tether strap such that the distance between the mouth guard and the lip protector is adjustable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top elevational view of the mouth guard without the adjustable lip protector installed on the tether strap.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the claimed mouth guard without the adjustable lip protector installed on the tether strap.

FIG. 3 is an isometric perspective view of the claimed mouth guard with the adjustable lip protector.

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the claimed mouth guard with the adjustable lip protector.

FIG. 5 is a top elevational view of the claimed mouth guard.

FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of the lip protector.

FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of the lip protector.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view along line 8-8 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a right view of the lip protector.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Now referring to the drawings in detail, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout, FIG. 3 shows a protective mouth guard and lip protector constructed in accordance with the claimed invention and generally designated 11. Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, an exemplary mouthpiece 21 is generally comprised of an outer flange 23 and an inner flange 25 connected by a web portion 27. The mouthpiece 21 is generally comprised of a thermoplastic material that is initially molded into a U-shape and that provides a cross-sectional channel with sides defined by the outer flange 23 and the inner flange 25 and the bottom defined by the web portion 27.

The mouthpiece 21 is molded of a suitable tough resilient plastic and of a size to fit over and shield an entire set of teeth, usually the upper teeth. It can be molded as non-custom, in which case the inner surface thereof is smooth, or can preferably be used as a custom fitted unit having indentations of a particular wearers teeth impressed therein formed by immersing the saddle in boiling water, removing it while it still retains the essential shape, placing it over a set of teeth to form teeth impressions therein and then allowing it to cool or immersing it in cold water to fix the impressions in the web portion 27 of the mouthpiece 21.

The tether strap 31 may be made of the same plastic as the mouthpiece 21 and may be molded as an integral unit therewith such that it extends from the lower anterior outer flange 23 portion of the mouthpiece 21. The tether strap 31 may also be secured by bonding or by suitable adhesive to the mouthpiece 21. The opposite end of the tether strap 31 is tapered to form a neck 33 which terminates in a circular disk 35. Apertures 37 are spaced through the tether strap 31 which are slightly smaller in diameter than ball circular disk 35. The mouth guard 11 can be retained on a face guard or chin strap of a helmet, for example, by looping the tether strap 31 over the bar of a face guard or chin strap and then inserting the circular disk 35 through a selected aperture 37. The tether strap 31 further comprises a plurality of generally parallel ridges 39 between the outer flange 23 of the mouthpiece 21 and the first aperture 37 in the tether strap 31. The surface of the tether strap 31 may also be textured between the ridges 39. The purpose of the ridges 39 will become apparent later in this detailed description.

As indicated above, the tether strap 31 may be made of the same or a different plastic from the guard or saddle and as stated earlier may be molded integrally therewith or secured thereto by a cementitious mechanical bond or weld bond. The joint between the tether strap 31 and the mouthpiece 21 may, in some cases, be constructed such that the tether strap 31 is permitted to break away from the mouthpiece 21 to prevent damage to the teeth.

As shown in more detail in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8, lip protector 41 may also be made from the same material as the mouthpiece 21 and the tether strap 31, but use of the same material is not required. As shown in more detail in FIGS. 8 and 9, the lip protector 41 comprises a concave side 43 and a convex side 45. Lip protector 41 is concave and convex in the horizontal direction and the horizontal direction so as to match the general contours of the wearer's face. Convex side 45 may further comprise a space for a decorative element 47. In some embodiments, the decorative element 47 may be pad printed or may comprise an in-mold label, although the invention is not limited by the decorative element used.

Lip protector 41 further comprises an aperture 49. Aperture 49 is generally centrally located within lip protector 41 and is sized such that the lip protector 41 slides along tether strap 31 to ridges 39. Aperture 49 further comprises a top side 51 and a bottom side 53 formed with a reverse draft angle such that the opening on the convex side 45 of the lip protector 41 is slightly larger than the opening on the concave side 43 of the lip protector 41. The smaller opening to the aperture 49 on the convex side 45 helps to prevent the lip protector 41 from being pulled over a ridge 39 along the tether strap 31. In a preferred embodiment the reverse draft angle of the top side 51 and the bottom side 53 of the aperture 49 is between about 1 and about 5 degree(s). The lip protector 41 and the tether strap 31 being formed from resilient material, the lip protector 41 can be moved across the ridges 39 in the tether strap 31 by applying force to the lip protector 41 in excess of the resilience of ridges 39 in the tether strap 31 and the material in surrounding the aperture 49 in the lip protector 41. Tether strap 31 and/or interior of aperture 49 may also be textured between ridges 39 to supply additional resistance to movement of the lip protector 41 relative to the tether strap 31.

In use, the free end of the tether strap 31 is pushed through the aperture 49 of the lip protector 41 and the lip protector 41 is moved along the tether strap 31 until the lip protector 41 is situated between ridges 39. Once the lip protector 41 has been situated along the tether strap 31 between the ridges 39, the wearer can test the fit of the lip protector 41. The lip protector 41 can then be moved incrementally between the ridges 39 along the tether strap 31 such that the lip protector 41 is further from the mouthpiece 21 or closer to the mouthpiece 21 as needed.

Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein. Variations of those preferred embodiments may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. Accordingly, this invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A protective mouth guard comprising: a generally U-shaped mouthpiece, the mouthpiece comprising an outer flange and an inner flange which are connected via a web portion such that a cross-section of the mouthpiece has sides defined by the outer flange and the inner flange and a bottom defined by the web portion; a tether strap integrally molded with the generally U-shaped mouthpiece and protruding from the outer flange portion of the mouthpiece; and a lip protector comprising a convex side and a concave side situated toward the mouthpiece, the lip protector further comprising a central aperture, the central aperture being sized such that it can be moved along the length of the tether strap, but sized such that frictional resistance between the lip protector and the tether strap impedes removal of the lip protector.
 2. The protective mouth guard of claim 1 wherein the tether strap further comprises a textured surface operable to create frictional resistance between the lip protector and the tether strap.
 3. The protective mouth guard of claim 1 wherein the tether strap further comprises a plurality of resilient ridges.
 4. The protective mouth guard of claim 3 wherein the lip protector is positioned between two of the plurality of resilient ridges in the tether strap.
 5. The protective mouth guard of claim 1 wherein the central aperture is generally rectangular and at least one of the sides comprises a reverse draft.
 6. The protective mouth guard of claim 1 where the central aperture is generally rectangular and at least one of the top and bottom sides of the central aperture is formed with a reverse draft angle such that the opening on the convex side of the lip protector is slightly larger than the opening on the concave side of the lip protector.
 7. The protective mouth guard of claim 6 wherein the reverse draft is between 1 and 5 degree(s).
 8. A protective mouth guard comprising: a generally U-shaped mouthpiece, the mouthpiece comprising an outer flange and an inner flange which are connected via a web portion such that a cross-section of the mouthpiece has sides defined by the outer flange and the inner flange and a bottom defined by the web portion; a tether strap integrally molded with the generally U-shaped mouthpiece and protruding from the outer flange portion of the mouthpiece; and a lip protector comprising a convex side and a concave side situated toward the mouthpiece, the lip protector further comprising a generally rectangular central aperture, the generally rectangular central aperture and at least one of the top and bottom sides of the central aperture is formed with a reverse draft angle such that the opening on the convex side of the lip protector is slightly larger than the opening on the concave side of the lip protector and sized such that it can be moved along the length of the tether strap, but sized such that frictional resistance between the lip protector and the tether strap impedes removal of the lip protector.
 9. The protective mouth guard of claim 8 wherein the tether strap further comprises a textured surface operable to create frictional resistance between the lip protector and the tether strap.
 10. The protective mouth guard of claim 8 wherein the tether strap further comprises a plurality of resilient ridges.
 11. The protective mouth guard of claim 10 wherein the lip protector is positioned between two of the plurality of resilient ridges in the tether strap.
 12. The protective mouth guard of claim 6 wherein the reverse draft is between 1 and 5 degree(s). 